WOW... It's been quite a while since I wrote a blog post, but with all this Covid nonsense and the fact that I'm a mom(and also own a healthcare company) - I have been running myself absolutely ragged! But hey, idle hands are the devil's playthings. Or so they say!
However, here I am and I'd just like to share some tips on how I've managed to lose weight instead of gain during quarantine.
EATING RIGHT - You will never get to where you want to be if you can't change your eating habits. Moving less means burning fewer calories and it's a simple equation. You have to burn more than you consume! Cutting calories can be tough, but something I've figured out is that certain foods are extremely filling without containing a ton of calories. My #1 meal has been egg whites with Soyrizo and some goat cheese sprinkled on top. That has literally been my breakfast every single morning and I can't get sick of it. For lunch and dinner, I've been doing my best to stay away from carbs. When you're at the gym lifting weights it's okay to do some carb loading, but not during quarantine! Even if you're still doing some at-home workouts, the majority of people are still moving around much less than they were before. Especially if you're unemployed or working from home. So go for lean proteins and veggies for lunch and dinner. If you like to snack, my favorite green smoothie recipe can be found here
MANAGING STRESS - Umm did I really just say that during a pandemic and imminent apocalypse?! Yeah, I did LOL. Just like you, I also get swept up in the seemingly never-ending news articles about each and every disaster taking place all around us. I'm not here to say current events aren't important BUT don't sacrifice your mental health. It's not worth it. And with every stressor added to your life, you're also adding more cortisol to your body. Not only does Cortisol cause you to store body fat, it also causes a whole slew of other problems such as: high blood pressure, weakened immune system, digestive issues, nerve problems, high blood sugar, heart disease, anxiety, depression, and headaches. YIKES! So try to take some time for yourself to be in a peaceful state. Meditation and yoga are a couple of options. Reading a book. Anything that allows you to clear your cluttered mind even if only for 10-20 minutes.
The 1 HOUR RULE - This is probably the best rule I've ever set for myself! No matter how busy I am or how tired I feel, I will do something active for at least one hour every single day, 7 days a week. It could be a hike, walk, bike ride, playing sports with my kids, etc... It doesn't have to be a hardcore workout every single day of your life. That would get boring anyway. As long as you do something active every day, you will continue to cement the habit of working out and living a healthy lifestyle deeply into your subconscious! I just read a book called Atomic Habits. It's basically about how even the smallest most insignificant habits will lead you to either achieving your long-term goals - or failing. Depending on what kind of habits you have...
HOME GYM - Okay I know this isn't an option for everyone to have a full-on home gym, but there are tons of ways you can modify workouts in your living room, yard, or at the park down the street. The other day I took my kids to the pool in our neighborhood and I brought some workout bands with me. I'm not gonna lie, I did get a few weird looks from the moms across the pool, but I got over my shyness of working out in front of people during my many years of being one of the few ladies in the weight section of the gym, LOL talk about awkward! So I just did my thang and holy sh*t I was so freakin sore! For 2 days it hurt to sit down. And keep in mind I am someone who prior to Covid could hip thrust 405 pounds! My point is that you really don't need a gym. It's nice to have one, but you don't NEED it.
SPIN BIKE - So all I have to say is I have the best husband ever because for Valentine's Day 2020 he bought me a Peloton Bike. He knew I had been wanting one and we got it just before Covid shut everything down. I was extremely fortunate because shortly after that, they were on backorder. Besides Peloton bikes being hard to come by these days, they're also pretty expensive so if you're looking for other options, there are others out there! - Like this one that allows you to connect to other devices and take classes through the MyCloudFitness App. It has good reviews and is less than half of the price of a Peloton. If you want to try Peloton classes without purchasing the bike, you can sign up for their Digital Membership for only $12.99/month. This allows you to take all of the classes, but you won't be on the leaderboard unless you have the bike. I used to do the Peloton classes at the gym on the spin bike they had there. After about 50 classes I was convinced I needed to have one!

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